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Breaking down a wild National League pennant race

With a six-game lead in the National League East, the Washington Nationals are sitting pretty – at least compared to other NL hopefuls. Six teams are gunning for four spots, which will make for a fun and fluid

With a six-game lead in the National League East, the Washington Nationals are sitting pretty – at least compared to other NL hopefuls. Six teams are gunning for four spots, which will make for a fun and fluid September, except, perhaps, for the managers involved. USA TODAY Sports' Jorge L. Ortiz breaks down how it may unfold:

Milwaukee Brewers

Where they stand: Second in the Central, one game back of the Cardinals..

In their favor: The Brewers rank in the league's top three in runs and on-base-plus slugging (OPS), and their offense features five hitters with at least 60 RBI. They have a veteran rotation with three starters — Kyle Lohse, Yovani Gallardo and Matt Garza — who have pitched in the postseason. Until dropping to second Monday, Milwaukee had been in first place, either alone or tied, every day since April 5.

Working against them: A recent skid that has seen Milwaukee drop six in a row. The Brewers were hammered for 31 runs over the weekend in San Francisco despite sending out two of their best starters in Wily Peralta and Kyle Lohse. Getting the ball to closer Francisco Rodriguez has been a problem, which the club hopes it remedied by acquiring Jonathan Broxton on Sunday.

The schedule is...: Insular. The Brewers play 22 of their final 26 games against division foes, including seven with St. Louis.

Bottom line: The Brewers have battled the perception that they're overachieving all season long, and with a 53-56 record from May 1 on, they're not gaining many converts. The division is very much up for grabs, but the Brewers are not exactly charging after it.

Where they stand: First in the Central, one game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers.

In their favor: Team leader and receiver nonpareil Yadier Molina is back, making his presence felt at the plate and behind it. The lethargic offense has gotten a jolt from his return and the hot hitting of outfielder Matt Holliday, who has a major league-high 19 RBI in his last 13 games. Michael Wacha is in line for an early-September return.

Working against them: The acquisitions of Justin Masterson (7.90) ERA and John Lackey (4.23) have failed to provide the desired boost to the injury-weakened rotation. St. Louis is the only division leader with a negative run differential (minus-seven).

The schedule is...: Favorable. Sixteen of the Cardinals' remaining 26 games – including the final nine – will be against teams that currently have losing records.

Bottom line: Getting Molina and Wacha back will be a huge help during the stretch run for this playoff-tested club, which may finally be primed to play its best ball.

Where they stand:Third in the Central, three games behind the Cardinals and two games back in the wild-card race.

In their favor: Pirates starters have fueled the club's resurgence after a seven-game losing streak, logging a 2.34 ERA in the 10 games after the skid and going at least six innings nine times. Pittsburgh has Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole back from the disabled list.

Working against them: Getting hot at the end is often a key to reaching the postseason, but the Pirates haven't won more than four in a row this year. Right-hander Charlie Morton is sidelined by a hip injury that may end his season.

The schedule is...: Ominous: The Pirates play 17 of their last 26 games on the road, starting with a 10-game swing that opens Monday in St. Louis. Pittsburgh's 27-37 road record is the worst among contenders in either league.

Bottom line: Pittsburgh has the second-best home mark in the league and has gone 20-11 in one-run games at PNC Park, but has only nine home games left this season. The climb will be steep.

Where they stand: Second in the East, six games behind the Washington Nationals and 1½ games back in the wild-card chase.

In their favor: Justin Upton, who drove in 28 runs in August, is batting .311 since the All-Star break and has shown the ability to carry the offense. Atlanta has taken off since Jason Heyward returned to the leadoff spot. The Braves are 70-45 in the last two seasons with Heyward hitting first in the lineup.

Working against them: Atlanta has been riding a wild fluctuation of highs and lows, which leaves the club prone to large stretches of futility, such as the one it experienced in getting no-hit by the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. The Braves offense ranks third in the league in strikeouts, and four hitters — B.J. and Justin Upton, Chris Johnson and Freddie Freeman — already have more than 125.

The schedule is...: Manageable. A nine-game trip awaits the Braves and it includes three against the division-leading Nationals, whom Atlanta meets six times in September. There are also a total of nine September games against the last-place Phillies and Rangers.

Bottom line: With strong starting pitching and an elite closer in Craig Kimbrel, the Braves are always a playoff threat, although unlikely to catch the Nationals.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Where they stand: First in the West, 2 games ahead of the Giants.

In their favor: With Hyun-Jin Ryu rejoining a rotation headed by Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the Dodgers have their Big Three in place to try to defend their division crown. Closer Kenley Jansen has been a rock, converting 36 of his last 38 save chances.

Working against them: Entering September with a mere 2½-game lead in the West qualifies as underachievement for the club with the largest payroll in the game, and the pressure will only intensify if the Dodgers don't hold on to first place. The outfield situation, with highly paid former All-Star Andre Ethier usually the odd man out and Yasiel Puig in a funk, continues to hover threateningly.

The schedule is...: Homey, or maybe homely: L.A. plays 15 of its final 25 games at Dodger Stadium, which would be a much bigger advantage if the club were any better than 34-32 at home.

Bottom line: The Dodgers have all the weapons – including MVP candidate Kershaw – to fend off the Giants' rally. If they don't, changes may be coming.

San Francisco Giants

Where they stand: Second in the West, 2 1/2 games behind the Dodgers and leading the wild-card race.

In their favor: A six-game winning streak fueled by Buster Posey and some excellent pitching – a 1.07 ERA for the starters in the last seven games – has thrust the Giants back in the division race. Rookies Joe Panik and Andrew Susac have filled voids, and the emotional Jake Peavy has brought an edge to the pitching staff.

Working against them: The Giants have no idea how long Yusmeiro Petit's magic ride will last, or what they'll get out of Tim Lincecum in the bullpen. Santiago Casilla has been shaky as the closer.

The schedule is...: No cakewalk. The Giants play 16 of their final 26 games on the road, including a three-game trip to Detroit this week. The last 10 games are all in California, though, seven of them against the Padres.

Bottom line: The division crown seemed out of reach as recently as last Monday, when the Giants fell to five games back, but the current surge has made it quite achievable. The six remaining games with the Dodgers will probably provide the final say.

GALLERY: Baseball's walk-off wins

August 1: Minnesota Twins catcher Kurt Suzuki celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk off single in the ninth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Target Field. Jesse Johnson, USA TODAY Sports

July 23: Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve (27) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk off home run during the ninth inning as the Astros defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-4 at Minute Maid Park. Troy Taormina, Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

July 22: Ike Davis #17 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates a win after an official review in the tenth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at O.co Coliseum on July 22, 2015 in Oakland, California. Lachlan Cunningham, Getty Images

Colorado Rockies first baseman Ben Paulsen (10) celebrates with teammates after hitting a walk off single to wing the game during the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers at Coors Field. The Rockies won 8-7. Chris Humphreys, USA TODAY Sports

July 17: Angels center fielder Mike Trout celebrates with teammates after hitting the game-winning home run against the Red Sox during the ninth inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Richard Mackson, USA TODAY Sports

July 12: Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett smears shaving cream on Gregory Polanco after hitting Polanco's walk-off single in the tenth inning during the game against the Cardinals. Justin K. Aller, Getty Images

July 7: Mariners' Robinson Cano, upper right, is lifted by Nelson Cruz and Dustin Ackley after Cano drove in the game-winning run in the 11th inning to give Seattle a 7-6 win over the Detroit Tiger. Ted S. Warren, AP

July 6: Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez (left, center) is mobbed by right fielder Gregory Polanco (25), second baseman Neil Walker (18) and shortstop Jordy Mercer (10) after Alvarez hit a game winning RBI single against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 2-1. Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sport

June 16: Texas Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos (61) is congratulated by teammates as he arrives home on his walk-off home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Park in Arlington. The Rangers won 3-2. Jim Cowsert, USA TODAY Sports

June 14: Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro (13) is congratulated for hitting the game winning RBI single during the eleventh inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field. Chicago won 2-1 in eleven innings. Dennis Wierzbicki, USA TODAY Spor

June 4: Texas Rangers teammates swarm Shin-Soo Choo after his game winning single scoring Leonys Martin against the Chicago White Sox during the eleventh inning of a baseball game The Rangers won 2-1. Jim Cowsert, AP

May 23: Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (not pictured) throws water on second baseman Jace Peterson after a walk off RBI single against the Brewers in the eleventh inning. Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports

May 12: Reds' Michael Lorenzen scores the winning run off of a walk-off double by catcher Devin Mesoraco (not pictured) in the bottom of the 9th inning against the Braves. Frank Victores, USA TODAY Sports

May 10: Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado gets a towel shower during post game interview with Sophia Minnaert after his game-winning hit against the Cubs in the 11th inning. Benny Sieu, USA TODAY Sports

April 13: Dodgers third baseman Alex Guerrero has his jersey torn off by teammates Yasiel Puig and Yasmani Grandal after hitting a game-winning single against the Mariners in the 10th inning. Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports